Five Tips to Choosing and Using Stock Photos for B2B Websites

Don’t know where to start? Are you using the right stock photos for your business? Follow these tips:

Stick to your business. Make sure you’re always choosing images related to your industry – if you’re selling cosmetics, then your image theme and the concept should relate to that, even if it is remotely or vaguely. Do not use images with farmers if you’re selling staplers unless you’ve found a very catchy way to connect these two – something businesses often forget when rushing to find the image.

Pick a style. For a professional look, choose images with a cohesive style – same color grading, setting, same models, etc. Avoid mixing and matching photos in obviously different buildings or offices etc. Maintaining your brand comes down to every last detail, so think twice before “switching it up” with the photos you choose for the website.

Remember the ‘it’ factor. Find something in the stock photos to make your company stand out from all the other B2Bs. Pick a common element in all the images whether it be color, lighting theme or an item to create a link that delivers a powerful message across your website. The power of software is on your side, don’t be afraid to Photoshop that something in!

Go from ideal to real. While perfect images are hard to create and good photographers are paying attention to every little detail, sometimes being too elaborate can look fake. Utilizing an imperfect image emphasizes your businesses authenticity and relatability to clients. This can be a not-so-clean desk, or a framing that breaks all the rules of photography, maybe a piece of clothing that doesn’t fit perfectly, anything that could bring the image from ideal to real.

Play the emotions card. The general public is set to be more responsive to emotions than to anything else. Play the emotions card and you will win them. Search for images that bring emotions to life, without exaggerating them.

Serban Enache

Serban is the CEO, Owner & Co-Founder of Dreamstime, a platform with 57 million stock images, and is currently the world’s largest stock community with 17 million users. With over 20 years of experience in design and new media, Serban has proven to be a skilled executive, successfully blending creative and executive abilities.